Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-03-11
LINCOLN'S JOURNEY.

Charles +. Richardson, IN Harper'S Magazine
for March.
LINCOLN'S JOURNEY.
Philadelphia Times: There have
been many ron anees given to the pub
lie about Abraham Lincoln's night
journey from Harrisburg to Washing
ton, when on his way to mis- inaugur-
alton, and various Y individuals have
made themselves figure as conspicuous
agents in securing the safety of the
then President-elect. That there was
a thoroughly organized conspiracy to
assassinate MIR. Lincoln in Baltimore
when passing through to Washington
is not now q matter of dispute, Sam~el
H. FELTON,, then resident of the Phila-
dolphia, Wilmington & Baltimore
Road, was the first to obtain in
formation of the combination to
destroy his railway and bridges
.
and cut off communication between
Washington and the North, and he en-
ployed the Pinkerton Detective Agency
to investigate it. The inquiry develop
ed that the chief aim was to prevent
Lincoln from reaching Washington to
be inaugurate1, and that information
led to more searchinc investigation
by skilled men and women of social
position mingling freely with Baltimore
secessionists and pretending to sympa-
thize heartily with them. This develop
ed the settled purpose to create a gen.
eral riot at the depot in Baltimore when
Lincoln arrived, and IN the confusion
Lincoln was to be assasinated. ia
While this Pinkerton inquiry was
going on under MI. Felton's direction.
Gen. Scott, who was charged with the
protection of the President-elect dur
ing the Inauguration ceremonies, had
secretly commissioned the late Col,
Charles P. Stone to investigate the
threatened peril to Lincoln. Stone
soon found that Baltimore was the
centre of the danger, and he covered
that city by the best detectives of both
sexes and reached the same conclusion
that Pinkertonhad reached, although
each was ignorant of the operations Of
the other. Senator Seward, who was
the announced Premier of the new Ad.
ministration, was acting with Gen.
Scott, and they communicated with
Lincoln at Springfield before he started
on his journey to the Capital. Lin,
coin responded by sending Leonard
SWEET to Washington accredited tc
Gen. Scott and Seward 40 his mos
trusted friend. SWEET obtained all thu
facts and returned Lincoln will
them, fully impressed with the peril o
the situation. The result was tina
Lincoln was sent East in. company
with Colonel Qater GENERALLY Summer
and Col. Lamon, who were charged
with the double duty of advising ant
and protecting him. The only RECORD
Mr.. Lincoln has made on the subjec
was his statement made to Benson j
LOSING in December, 1884, wher
Losing reports as follows: 4.
II arrived at Philadelphia on the 21st
/ agreed to stop one night and on til,
following morning hoist the flag owe
Independence Hall. In the evening
there was great crowd when received
my friends at the Continental Hotel
Mr.. Judd, q warm personal friend from
Chicago, sent for me to come to hi
room. went and found there Mr.
Pinkerton, q skillful police detective
also from Chicago, who had been EN-
ployed for some days In Baltimor'
watching and searching for suspicious
persons there. 4 nnkerton informed N,
that plan had been laid for my assasi
nation, the exact time I expected 4
come through Baltimore being publicly
known, He was well informed as t
the plan, but did not know that til,
conspirators would have pluck enough
Ito execute It. He urged me 10 70 rigH
through to Washington that night.
did not like that. I had made arrang|
ments to visit Harrisburg and 70 froh
there to Baltimore, and had resolved =
do s.. When ] was makiiR
my way back to my room throuda
crowds of people l met Frederick n
il